Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Saturday blamed pro-Russian hackers for the leaking her foreign minister's personal data onto the dark web. After foreign minister Antonio Tajani said he was targeted by hackers over his support for Ukraine, Meloni said separately that the "sale of confidential information about institutional representatives is a cause of serious concern and must be tackled with the utmost determination." "Of equal concern is the circulation of false images, which have also been shared by members of the opposition," she said in an official statement.

"Freedom of expression must never become a breeding ground for disinformation." Tajani said "cybercriminals" had exposed his personal data to the dark web and were "looking for more information, effectively exposing me to new threats and intimidation," as well as targeting his family. He noted that the leaks had been happening for days, targeting his family too. "My response is very simple: I will not be intimidated in any way," he wrote on the social platform X. "I will continue working to defend my ministry and Italy, and I will keep strengthening ties and cooperation with our allies so that we can protect ourselves together."

Meloni's government holds close ties to that of Ukraine, with President Volodymyr Zelensky writing on X last month that he and the prime minister have a "very good relationship." "They receive feedback from us on which Italian-made and European-made weapons work and which do not, and what we have improved technologically," he said on X, sharing part of an interview with the Italian news outlet Corriere della Sera. "We share all of this with Italian manufacturers."

Meloni has slammed the European Union for giving the impression of being "all over the place" when addressing the Russia-Ukraine war, Politico reported. She has called for the European Union to promote someone who can take a prominent role in future negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.

"I’m convinced that we all realize how, by projecting the image of a Europe that’s all over the place, we’re doing nothing but serving the interests of those who want this war to continue," she told the outlet. "And I think this is unacceptable, given that human lives and the future of our security are at stake." Zelensky said last week that the U.S. could provide his country with further assistance after Democrats won sweeping victories in the 2026 midterm elections. He also said he had conversations with President Trump’s top envoys for negotiations, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, ahead of trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. scheduled in Abu Dhabi next week.